Good news if you’ve been waiting to burn that brush pile. Pope County’s burn ban is officially over — at least for now.
County Judge Ben Cross signed an order Monday morning, Nov. 2, lifting the ban effective at 8:15 a.m. after some much-needed rain over the weekend.
And some parts of the county got a pretty good soaking.
According to the National Weather Service, Russellville Municipal Airport recorded 0.84 inches of rain during the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Sunday. Farther north, a weather station northeast of Hector picked up 1.78 inches during that same period.
That was enough to help ease the wildfire threat and give the county a reason to lift its burning restrictions.
The ban had been in place since Sept. 21, and it’s actually the second time Pope County has lifted a burn ban in the past few months.
An earlier ban took effect Aug. 17 before being lifted when conditions improved. But the dry weather returned, and so did the restrictions in September.
For now, outdoor burning is allowed again. Just don’t get too carried away with that brush pile. Residents should still use caution, keep an eye on conditions and remember that another stretch of dry weather could bring the restrictions right back.
